PROSECUTORS have dropped the case against 13 footballers, including former Blackburn Rovers striker DJ Campbell, investigated over alleged match-fixing.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said there was ‘insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction’ in the case in light of the collapse of Tulisa Contostavlos’ trial.

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The former X Factor judge was cleared of brokering a cocaine deal last year, following a newspaper sting led by ‘Fake Sheikh’ Mazher Mahmood, after Judge Alistair McCreath said there were ‘strong grounds’ to believe The Sun On Sunday reporter lied in the witness box.

Contostavlos’ rapper friend Mike GLC – real name Michael Coombs – was also cleared.

A CPS spokeswoman said: “The reliability of the evidence of one alleged witness in particular had to be very carefully considered in light of recent events in the trial of R - v - Contostavlos and Coombs.

“This was not the only evidence that was considered and when all the evidence submitted by investigators was carefully reviewed in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors it was decided that there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.

“We have informed the National Crime Agency of this decision and they have written to the suspects announcing that no further action will be taken.”

Campbell was originally arrested in December as part of an NCA probe, but his bail was lifted and realised without charge in August.

The 33-year-old left Rovers by mutual consent in July and is now playing for non-league Maidenhead.